The Old Testament tells us that it took 40 years from the time the Israelites (We weren't Jews yet) left Egypt for them to return to the Promised Land (Canaan or what we now know as Israel and the West Bank). If you look at a map, you realize that even on foot, even without the benefit of GPS, there is no way that this trip should take that long. A snail should make it in less time. At some point Moses should have turned down the radio, Sephora would have gotten fed up with his obstinance and asked directions.
God knew a shortcut. The thing is that HE was ticked off after the Golden Calf incident. Nobody who took part in it would ever hear the word, "Yes" when asking, "Are we there yet?" The slate was wiped clean and the next generation started anew. The latest round of violence erupting between Israel and Hamas got me thinking about this.
I'll try to proffer a reasonable solution, but I do need more space. Please take the leap:
In the interests of disclosure, I am Jewish. I have family living in settlements in the West Bank. It is time to go. Watching the media coverage of the media coverage, and following the all too familiar stories in the blogosphere led me to clips like Chris Hayes interviewing Rula Jebreal, who has been largely banished from MSNBC for calling out what she sees as a pro-Israel bias on the network, and Sean Hannity badgering a Palestinian, Yousef Munayyer, who would only concede that Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the US government.
Hannity began by asking (as if the question could live in a vacuum) how Israel should respond to the rockets being rained down by Hamas. Munayyer tried to answer by talking about the horrific conditions under occupation. That is when I had my epiphany about the 40 years in the desert.
As litigants in a court case might say, I will stipulate the validity of the grievances raised by the Palestinian people. I will not hold it against them that the occupation that they complain about (the Jewish one) began in 1967 and not 1948, as they like to suggest. It does not matter. The solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem can be solved in one word: Tomorrow.
The Oslo accords, Taba, Wye, the Road Map, whatever name the latest negotiations take on, the details are unremarkably similar. Two States. The 1967 borders as the basis for negotiation of final border. Right of return surrendered for compensation, Jerusalem/East Jerusalem as the Capitol of both states.
I don't care why the latest round of violence started. The three murdered Israelis was a tragedy. Going hunting for a revenge victim, and burning him alive was inhuman. Eventually this conflict will give way to a cease fire. What do we do tomorrow?
It has been 47 years since Israel took the West Bank and Gaza, and 66 years since it was recognized as a state. The combatants are either dead or too old to be relevant. Think of the children. Should Israel not respond to Hamas' rockets? Yes! Why? Because they've got the Iron Dome and Gaza doesn't. Bibi could do it. A left of center Prime Minister couldn't.
Like Spock said, "Only Nixon could go to China." President Obama has deported more undocumented immigrants in 6 years than Bush did in 8, and yet he's soft on immigration. He has personally authorized more drone strikes that Bush, but he's soft on terrorism. Netanyahu doesn't have that handicap. Somebody has to say stop.
There is a song that asks the question, "If tomorrow never comes, what about today?" In Jewish tradition, tomorrow comes when the sun comes down today. It's been more than 40 years in the desert, the Ranger's have won the cup. Tomorrow is only a few hours away. What do you say?